


A Magical Life

by iloveromance



Category: Frasier (TV), Wizards of Waverly Place
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 08:38:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13877247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: When Alex Russo meets a dejected and unhappy Dr. Niles Crane, she casts a spell on him to give him a perfect life. But everything is not what it seems...





	1. Chapter 1

"Ugh! This is totally lame!" Alex Russo yelled. She slammed the package of flour onto the counter in frustration, causing a huge puff of white flour to fill

the kitchen.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Justin yelled from the doorway. "Mom's gonna freak when she sees this mess!"

"Yeah? Well... It's her own fault!" Alex said. "She's the one who told me to bake these brownies!"

Justin scoffed. "You call this baking brownies?"

"Well what would you call it?" Alex asked sarcastically.

"I'd call it being one step closer to Mom and Dad grounding you for life!" Justin said, ignoring her comment.

"How are those brownies coming along, Alex?" Their mother, Teresa, called from the adjoining Waverly Sub Station sandwich Shop.

"Almost done, Mom!" Alex yelled back.

"Yeah, right. In your dreams!" Justin said. "How are you going to fix this?"

Alex smiled at her older brother.

"Are you kidding me? Watch this..." Alex said.

She pointed her wand at the counter and after a few sparks, a plate of freshly baked brownies appeared on the counter.

Justin blinked and looked around the kitchen, which was now sparkling clean.

"Are you crazy? Mom said no magic!"

"Oh, what do you care?" Alex retorted. "The kitchen is clean and the brownies are done. That makes me the good kid!"

"Ah! Look at this!" Teresa exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. "My daughter, the baker!"

Justin rolled his eyes as he watched his mother kiss his sister on the cheek.

"Ewww... Mom!" Alex said, wincing.

"That's my girl!" Teresa said, ignoring her daughter. "Now why don't you go wash up? Oh and tell Max that dinner's almost ready."

"Okay, Mom! I sure do love you!" Alex said a little too brightly.

Teresa looked at her daughter in amazement. "Are you feeling well, Honey?"

"Mom, can't you see what she's trying to do?" Justin asked, watching as his sister ran into the restaurant and bounded up the stairs.

"She's playing one of her tricks again. I mean, don't you find it a little strange that she was able to make those brownies so fast?"

But his mother only smiled. "Oh honey, don't worry about it! I'm sure Alex would be happy to give you some baking tips. Heck, I could use some myself."

She took a bite of one of the brownies. "These are delicious!"

Justin sighed and threw his hands up in frustration as he left the kitchen and returned to the Waverly Place Sub Shop.

"God, Justin's such a loser." Alex muttered under her breath as she bounded up the stairs. As she entered the living room of her apartment, she found her little brother Max

watching TV in the living room.

"Mom said to tell you that dinner's ready."

"Duh! I have a nose, Alex! I can smell it you know!" Max said sarcastically as he pointed across the room. "The kitchen is right there."

"And I can smell you coming from a mile away." Alex said, laughing hysterically at her own joke.

"That's really funny." Max said. "Maybe you should go on a comedy tour, because you'd make a great stand-up comedian. Heck I'd pay to see people throw things at you

when you tell a lame joke!"

"I'm looking at a lame joke right now!" Alex said, laughing at her brother again.

"And I'm looking at an even lamer one!" Justin said from behind her, giving his little brother a high-five.

"You guys are such nimrods!" Alex yelled as she ran into her room and slammed the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Eggheads. Alex muttered as she sat down at her computer desk. Who needs brothers anyway? They're nothing but losers who never leave! She flipped the switch on her

computer, smiling as the screen began to glow. Her fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard and within seconds she had entered the World Wide Wiz Web.

Let's see who I can chat with... Oh, look! My boyfriend Mason is on!

Alex: Hey Mason!

Mason: Hello, Alex!

Alex: What are you up to?

Mason: Not much. Just came inside from howling at the moon.

Alex: Why would you do that?

Mason: Well I am a werewolf you know!

Alex: Oh yeah... I keep forgetting! Have you had any luck finding cologne to

hide that doggy scent of yours? Ugh!

Mason: I've tried several different things with some success. I'm also looking

for a way to hide this flea collar of mine to make it look like jewelry.

Alex: I can totally help you with that!

Just then the door opened, and she turned to find Justin glaring at her. "Alex! What are you doing?"

"Talking to Mason on the World Wiz Web." She answered sweetly.

"What? We've been downstairs waiting for you for twenty minutes!" Justin yelled.

"Waiting for me? Why?"

"Well, in case you've forgotten, there's a meal we eat at night. It's called dinner!"

"Oh... No thanks. I'm not hungry." Alex said.

"What? Geez, Alex! I'm starving! If I had known you weren't going to eat, I would have eaten your portion of spaghetti and meatballs!"

At the mention of her favorite food, Alex's eyes widened. "Hang on! I'll be right there!"

Justin laughed evilly. "Oh no you don't! Not this time!" He ran out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"Justin, wait!" Alex yelled. She reached the door and tugged on it, annoyed to find that it was locked. "Open says moi." She said, pointing her wand at the door.

But nothing happened.

In a panic, she began pounding on the door. "Justin! Let me out!"

Minutes later she heard footsteps approaching. "Mom! Dad! Justin locked me in my room and I can't get out!"

"Serves you right!" Justin's muffled voice said from the hallway. "And speaking of serving... Doesn't this smell gooooood?"

Suddenly the heavenly aroma of her mother's spaghetti and meatballs wafted under the doorway and filled her room.

"Justin, please! Let me out! I promise I'll be nice to you! I'll even introduce you to that girl you like so much at school!"

"Who, Mandy? Well for your information, she has a boyfriend." Justin said. "And besides, I already have a girlfriend. The fair Juliet has returned yet again."

Alex scoffed "Who, your 1,000 year old vampire of a girlfriend?"

"Well... I'm off to have my dinner and then some of Mom's famous cheesecake for desert." Justin said.

"Cheesecake? Oh Justin please let me out!" Alex whined.

"Okay, let me think about it." Justin said.

Then seconds later... "Not on your life."

"Fine! Be that way!" Alex yelled through the door. She returned to her computer and was about to resume her conversation with Mason, dismayed when she saw that he'd

logged off.

Great. How do I get rid of an annoying brother? Let's see...

She typed annoying brothers into the Wizard search engine and clicked the button. Suddenly a list of websites filled the page.

Hmmm... She thought as she scrolled down the page. What's this?

She clicked on the link and began to read:

Dr. Frasier Crane, radio psychiatrist can be heard Monday through Friday from 2-5pm PST on KACL Seattle . "He's listening"...

She rolled her eyes. Bor-ring! Who needs a head-shrinker? Well, besides Justin and Max? She thought with a laugh.

But wait, what's this?

Dr. Crane is a respected psychiatrist who can help with any problem that arises; ranging from problems with family to problems at work and everything in

between.

Well, I don't have any problems with the sub shop, but I sure do have brother problems. Mom and Dad would kill me if I called long distance. Where is Seattle

anyway? I think it's down south somewhere.

"Alex, get down here right now!" her dad yelled. "Justin's already on his third helping of spaghetti and meatballs!"

"And I'm on my fourth!" she heard Max yell.

I need to talk to this Frasier person in person...

"Person in person, get it?" She said to the empty room. "Darn, where's an audience when you need one?"

She took her wand and twirled it over her head...

"A boat is no boat without a paddle. Take me to a place called Seattle. Wherever that is."

Instantly, the room began to swirl and her belongings were flying around her. "Whoa! What's going on?" Within seconds she landed with a thud on the sidewalk, drenched by a downpour of rain. "Great! And I just had my hair done, too!"

She groaned and rose to her feet.

Where in the heck am I?

As soon as she looked across the street, she knew...

"KACL. That's where this Frasier person lives!" She said happily. "I wonder if he's home!"


	3. Chapter 3

Alex ran across the street until she came to the small building. "Wow... this place is really cool!" she said as she walked inside, and preceded down the hallway that seemed

to turn from one way to the next.

She glared at the weird looking pictures on the wall. Gil, Kenny, Bulldog... Frasier! She read "Oh! So that's what he looks like! Oh well, nobody's perfect. But geez, what a

weird family he has! Who names their kid Bulldog? Oh wait... I totally would!" She continued down the hallway, wondering where in the heck this Frasier

person's room was. "Excuse me, is Frasier around?" She asked a weird- looking guy who passed her in the hallway.

"Um... I think he's off today." The nerdy man replied. "I'm Noel by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Alex." She said pointing to herself. They glanced at each other awkwardly.

"Well... Live long and prosper." Noel said holding up his fingers in a weird "V" sign.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Later Dude." She replied, giving him the "peace" sign.

Geez, what a weirdo... she muttered as she walked outside, where it was still pouring down rain. A lot of good that did.

"Okay, this rain has got to stop!" she said, shaking the water from her wand. To her dismay, the rain continued.

As if by fate, she looked up to find herself standing in front of a small colorful building.

Wow... what a weird looking Starbucks. And an even weirder name... Ca-fee Nerv-o-oo-sa. What language do they speak here in Seattle? I know it's not Spanish because it

otherwise it would be called Ca-fee-Nervoose-a-ito."

Well, whatever, she was here and it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

Besides, she could really use a burger.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, in Café Nervosa...

Niles Crane sat in a hidden corner, grateful that the café was practically empty. He really didn't want to be around people right now. But then again, sulking at his

apartment...alone...was an even worse thought. The barista brought his latte, causing him to roll his eyes at the sight of it.

"Something wrong, Mister?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Actually yes." Niles said.

"I specifically asked for the faintest whisper of cinnamon."

The barista leaned over and peered into the cup he was holding.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well does this LOOK like a whisper of cinnamon to you?" he yelled. "It's more like an OUTBURST!"

"Sir, you're disrupting my customers!" The barista snapped.

"Just bring me what I ordered!" Niles yelled, handing the barista his latte, which to his annoyance, was now ice cold.

"The nerve of people!" he muttered as the barista walked off, glaring at him when she disappeared into the back room.

Suddenly he felt guilty. He hadn't meant to lose his temper, but having his drink made incorrectly for the millionth time was the last straw. Well, it was definitely better than

crying, which he actually preferred. But being a man for whom crying was not in his nature, it was probably for the best. Up until two days ago, he'd been the happiest man on

Earth, and with good reason. Unfortunately it took much less time for his world to come crashing down on him. And to think it all happened just hours earlier.

It was all very innocent... or so he'd thought.


	5. Chapter 5

He'd come home from work, exhausted and upset. It was truly the worst day of his life. The only bright spot in coming home was knowing that the woman he loved with all

his heart would be there waiting for him. He still couldn't believe that Daphne Moon had agreed to move in with him, much less marry him. It had definitely been an

adjustment; living under the same roof with the woman he'd once loved from afar. But it was blissful, nonetheless.

He opened the front door, his heart warming as her exquisite form came into view. In her navy dress with the tiny white triangles, his fiancé looked like a goddess.

But he'd known that since the first day he'd laid eyes on her.

"Hello, my love!" He said opening his arms to hug her. "How was your day?"

Daphne sighed and kissed him. "It was awful! Your father refused to do his exercises and when I went to the market they were out of me favorite brand of ice cream! Look, I

know I should watch me intake of sweets, but sometimes I can't help meself! And then if that weren't bad enough, me mum called and I spent two hours arguin' with her

over the weddin' details. You'd think it was her gettin' married instead of her own daughter! I tried to be polite by sayin' 'Mum, you know I love you but I can't stand it when

you-."

"Daphne, please!" Niles said holding up his hand. "Don't you want to hear about my day?"

At his exasperated tone, her expression fell.

"Oh... of course. How was your day?" She asked, pulling out of his arms.

"Dear God it was awful!" Niles said as he began to pace the room. "My practice is in severe jeopardy, Daphne!"

"What happened?" She asked, taking his hand.

"Well, I was merely trying to diagnose a patient's problem, and I very gently asked if she and her husband had been experiencing any difficulties in the bedroom. It was a

perfectly reasonable question, given the circumstances. But all of a sudden the woman became violent, provoking. She threatened me, Daphne! She called me incompetent!

Do you have any idea what that means? If she goes to the board, I'm finished! And to make matters even worse-."

"Oh! I almost forgot the worst thing of all!" Daphne interrupted. "It was horrible, Niles!"

Immediately his heart went out to her, and he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry my love. What happened?"

"Well I was at the market, tryin' to buy some kidney beans for me stew, and all of a sudden this little boy reaches into me basket and spills me beans all over the

supermarket floor! And his mum starts yellin' at me for not payin attention to where I was goin! Most humiliatin' thing that ever happened to me! I mean, can you imagine-."

Niles could only laugh.

"Daphne, you can't possibly think that your supermarket incident was more horrifying than the day I just had! The woman threatened me and-."

The moment the words were out of his mouth he regretted them, but it was too late to take them back.

Daphne stared at him; the hurt evident in her eyes. "I see... So you're sayin' that your problems are more important than me own?"

He reached for her, hurt when she pulled away. "No Daphne...of course not. I'm sorry. I didn't mean-."

Her eyes filled with tears, tearing his heart in two. "I'm just a poor healthcare worker whose life means nothing?"

"Daphne, absolutely not! You're won-."

"I should have known. You're just like your brother!" She said, the tears sliding down her cheeks. "You're both spoiled, snobbish and arrogant, and I'm sorry I

ever met you, Niles Crane!"

"Daphne, you can't mean that!" Niles said, watching as she headed for the stairs. "I love you and I'm so sorry. I just-."

"Forget it, Niles. I know when I'm being used!" She said, her voice trembling.

"Used? Daphne, please! I would never in a million years use you, and frankly I'm stunned that you would dare think such a thing!"

"Goodnight, Niles!" she yelled from the top of the stairs.

He was about to go after her when he heard her footsteps down the hall and then the slamming of a door.

Wearily he turned out the lights downstairs, not even bothering to make dinner and headed for his bedroom, distressed to find the room empty. When he glanced across the

hall, he could see her lying in the guest bedroom, reading. His first thought was to go to her; to make her understand that he was deeply sorry for hurting her.

But when they made eye contact, she quickly looked away, before getting out of bed and closing the door.

Crestfallen, he returned to his bedroom and prepared himself for what was sure to be a lonely and miserable night.


	6. Chapter 6

Café Nervosa (present day)

Now, Niles sat and watched people drift in and out of the café, grateful that he was being ignored. He sipped his black coffee, which seemed to be the only drink the barista

was capable of making correctly, and sighed. He could barely taste it anyway.

His heart ached...

How could he have been so stupid?

Once again his mind drifted back to the horrible conclusion to such a horrible night...

He'd woken that morning, certain that Daphne would have forgotten all about the misunderstanding and forgiven him. The thought made him smile. They'd had fights before;

many in fact. And the best part of fighting was making up, No matter whose fault it was.

"Oh Sweetheart... Daphne, my love..." He sang, his heart beating rapidly at the thought of seeing her as he ran down the hallway to the guest room. "I love you more than anything and I hope you're ready to make up..."

But when he opened the guest room door, she was gone.

Dear God...

In a panic he returned to his bedroom, hoping to find her; perhaps in the shower, waiting for him.

"Daphne!" he yelled, praying that he'd find her.

But the bathroom was empty...

And to his horror, so were the drawers and the closet.

He sunk down on the bed as the shattering realization hit him.

She was gone.

This had to be a cruel nightmare.

He closed his eyes, hoping to see her beautiful form when he opened them again. Instead he saw something that crushed his soul. It was her engagement ring, sitting on his

dresser. And beside it, a note:

Niles,

Here is your bloody ring back! Take it... Because I don't want it. I don't

love you anymore, and I'm certainly not going to marry you.

Goodbye forever, Daphne.

Daphne, no... This can't be happening...

When he picked up the ring, all he could think of was the glorious night he'd proposed...

And suddenly the man who said he never cried was sobbing into his hands, not caring what the Café Nervosa patrons-or anyone-thought of him. For his world had truly

ended and his life was no longer worth living... He had no career, no friends, no family... and worst of all...

No Daphne...


	7. Chapter 7

Alex wandered into the colorful cafe and looked around, amazed to find that there were no kids in sight. How lame... Well, it didn't matter anyway. She sat down at one of

the small wooden tables, just as a lady wearing a green apron approached her.

"What can I get you?"

"Um... Well, do you have a menu? Because I'm starving!" Alex replied.

"Menu's over there on that wall." The lady said, pointing to the chalkboard.

Alex peered across the cafe. "How do you expect people to see that?"

The lady rolled her eyes. "Well, most people get up and walk over there. Now what are you going to order?"

Alex looked at her thoughtfully. "Well... a root beer for one. Oh and a cheeseburger with fries."

"Kid, are you for real?" the lady asked.

Alex looked herself up and down." I think so, why?"

"Look, why don't you just leave. We don't have time for pranksters in here."

"You're throwing me out?" Alex asked in disbelief. Then she laughed. "Boy, if you're gonna throw someone out, that's a really lame way to do it! Mr. Laritate does a way

better job at throwing us out at school!"

The woman put her hands on her hips and glared at Alex. "Look, Kid... Are you gonna leave or am I gonna have to throw you out?"

Alex threw up her hands in frustration. "All right, all right, I'm leaving! Geez!"

She rose from the table and headed for the door, but something made her stop and turn around. What the heck?

Making sure the lady in the green apron wasn't watching, Alex made her way to the corner of the café to get a better look. What she saw was a man. Thin with short, dark

hair... and she couldn't be sure but... wait... was he crying? Whoa! This was way too weird! She'd never seen a man cry before-Not even her dad or Uncle Kelbo.

And this guy looked way more important than anyone in her family. His suit must have come from a really good department store.

Her dad was so lame that he once borrowed Justin's suit (which, by the way was too small!) to go on a date with his own wife. What was with this guy anyway? And more

importantly why did she even care?

For some totally insane unknown reason, she couldn't resist finding out why a grown man would cry in a public place. Casually she moved closer to where the man sat alone

at a small wooden table, pretending to read a book. Yeah, that's right... pretending. She could totally tell. She'd mastered the art of faking her way through many a reading

assignment. Pretending to read was an art form. One that this guy had down perfectly.

"Hey!" She said putting on a big smile as she stepped in front of him. But he

ignored her and continued to read.

"I said hey!" She said again.

The man crossed his knee over his leg and turned away from her.

"Hey Mister!" She said louder; attracting glances from nearby customers. The man lowered his book and looked at her with an annoyed glare; one that she

was very familiar with. Justin had given her that look plenty of times.

"Do you mind?" The man said; the irritation heavy in his voice. "I'm trying to read here!"

Alex scoffed. "Yeah right. I can totally tell that you're reading!"

The man sniffled and cleaned his throat. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Probably." She answered

"Well then... why don't you run along and leave me to my reading. Go... bother someone else!"

His voice sounded funny.. Like he was about to cry again.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked.

"Of course I'm okay!" The man snapped. "Why would you even ask such a preposterous question? You don't even know me!"

"Whoa... you are like major weird!" Alex said, stepping away from him.

Just then the man's cell phone rang and he reached into his pocket to answer it.

"Hello?" He said into the phone.

There was a long pause, and then his face got that hurt look on it again, that immediately turned to anger.

"But wait! What are you saying?" He was yelling into the phone. "Dear God, how could you even think that? Please, can't you give me a chance to explain? Call my brother

then! He knows what's going on! That's right. Oh come on, please! Just give me another-."

And then he was staring at the phone wearing the saddest expression that Alex had ever seen.

Slowly he closed the phone and slammed his fist angrily on the table, startling Alex with the sound it made.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

The man brushed away a tear with the sleeve of his fancy department store suit. "Please.. Just go away..." He said to Alex.

Alex shrugged. "Okay. But I was only trying to help. And believe me, I never help, so this is a rarity. Just ask anyone in my family." She rose from the chair and turned to

leave.

"Wait." She heard him say.

Slowly she turned to face him. "Yeah?"

The man sighed. "I'm sorry for my rudeness. Won't you sit down?"

"Sure." Alex said, returning to the wooden chair.

"Listen, I don't want to hurt your feelings but I'm not in the mood to talk right now. However, you're welcome to stay."

"Cool!" Alex said. "So why are you crying? I mean it's totally weird to see a guy crying like that."

"I am not crying!" The man shouted, emphasizing each word.

"Riiiiight." Alex said. "So I suppose you always look like that."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Look like what?"

"Like you've been crying."

Wordlessly, the man rose from his chair, grabbed his book and walked out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Alex hurried to follow him onto the sidewalk. "Mister, wait!" She called to him.

The man turned around and glared at her. "What do you want?"

"To help you." Alex said.

"I assure you I'm fine, thank you. I don't need help from a... a child." He said, emphasizing the word.

"Come on... Please? Just tell me what's wrong." Alex begged.

Wearily the man walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. "I might as well. I'm a psychiatrist and I of all people should know that it's not good to keep my emotions

bottled up."

"Good!" Alex said with a smile having no idea what he was talking about. Without being asked, she sat down beside him. "So what's bothering you?"

"Well, for starters, I've been voted out of my wine club! For something that wasn't even my fault! I'm sure that Frasier will take great pleasure in knowing that his little

brother will no longer be lurking in his shadows. God knows we've competed enough in our lifetimes."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Brothers are such a pain! I have two of them; an older one and a younger one and they are both... Wait... did you say Frasier?"

"Well, yes... but..."

"Oh my God! I was just at his house looking for him! Do you know where he is? Oh my God I can't believe you're his brother! Wow... he sure has a big family!"

The man looked at her like she was nuts. "Wait... How do you know where he lives?"

"It's on the Internet." Alex replied.

The man's hand flew to his mouth. "Dear God! Who would put Frasier's address on the Internet? Just because he's a so-called radio star doesn't mean-."

"Well it was easy to find. It's right over there." Alex said, pointing to the KACL building across the street.

This news apparently brought the man great relief.

"Oh.. Yes, I suppose you could say that KACL is his home." The man said.

"I'm Alex." Alex said, extending her hand. "And what's your name?"

"I'm not sure if I should even tell you..." The man said. "But I'm Dr. Niles Crane."

"A doctor, huh?" Alex asked, tugging on her shirt. "Do you think you can take a look at this rash on my neck?"

The doctor cringed and backed away.

"Hey!" Alex yelled. "I'm not contagious! Or at least I don't think I am..."

"Um... Well... I 'm not that kind of doctor. I'm a psychiatrist." He told her for the second time.

Finally she got it. "Ohhhh... You mean you're a head shrinker like Frasier? Well, maybe you can help me. See, my older brother Justin is such a pain. He's always-."

"Listen..."

"Alex." She finished, annoyed that a guy who probably went to a really big school could forget her name so quickly.

"Alex. I'd love to help you with your problems, but I have enough of my own, okay? So if you don't mind-."

"But you never told me what's wrong!" Alex said. "Well except for this club you got kicked out of. But hey, I wouldn't worry about it. I mean who wants to be in a whine club

anyway? I bet all they do is complain all day! Maybe I could try to get my brothers to join?"

"Your bothers drink wine?" Dr. Crane asked in disbelief. "But you said you had a younger brother! Why you can't be more than-."

Alex laughed hysterically. "No! I mean whine, like "W-H-Y... um... N-E".

Dr. Crane wasn't at all amused.

Wow, this guy's sense of humor is worse than Mr. Larritate's! And that's bad!

"All right. So what's wrong?" She asked.

"Dr. Crane sighed. "What isn't wrong?"

"Oohhh! Sounds serious!" Alex said, shifting to a more comfortable position in her chair.

"Well.. not only did I get thrown out of my wine club...that's wine that adults drink by the way; a patient threatened me at work and now I'll probably lose my license!"

"Wow... You can lose your driver's license over that?" Alex asked, making a mental note not to make her shrink mad. If she ever had one that is.

The man looked at her with annoyance. "My license to practice... Oh never mind."

"So that's it? That's why you were crying like a baby?"

"I wasn't crying!" Dr Crane yelled.

"Okay, okay! So what else happened?"

"Isn't that enough?" Dr. Crane sighed.

"Look, I can totally tell that you're hiding something. I do it all the time! What happened? You get dumped or something?"

To her amazement, the man turned away, but she could hear him start to cry again.

"Oh man! I knew I should have kept my mouth shut!"

"I-it's all right." Dr. Crane said, quickly rubbing his eyes.

"So who was this chick, anyway?" Alex asked.

A dreamy look came over Dr. Crane's eyes and he actually smiled. Kind of the way Alex did whenever she saw Mason.

"Daphne..." Dr. Crane said.

"And what's the big deal about her?" Alex asked.

"She's an angel, my goddess. I loved her for almost seven years before I could tell her. She was engaged to another man and then Frasier found out that she loved me, only

I didn't know it. But then on the night before her wedding to this other man, she finally kissed me. And now she's going to marry me instead... Or at least... she was."

"Wow... that's deep. You could put that on a Hallmark card or something!" Alex

said. She started to laugh, but when Dr. Crane glared at her she thought better of it. "So why isn't she? Going to marry you, I mean?"

"Oh... Well it was my fault. But it doesn't matter now." Dr. Crane said, rising from the bench. "Look, it was very nice to meet you Alex, but I should be going... back to my

cold... dark... lonely apartment."

"Later!" She called to him.

As he walked away, she could hear him sighing to himself.

"I just wish my life was perfect. The way it used to be... before I made a mess out of things."

Alex knew that he completely unaware of the shower of sparkling dust that covered him as he walked down the sidewalk and turned the corner.


	9. Chapter 9

In the darkness, Niles turned onto his side and pulled the comforter closer to his body, grateful that sleep had finally found him. For hours, he'd tossed and turned, thinking

about what he'd lost and what a fool he'd been to let her go.

"Oh my love... I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I only hope you know how profoundly sorry I am and can forgive me some day."

Suddenly he felt movement, signaling that he wasn't alone. And he was filled with unimaginable relief. For the woman he cherished so deeply had returned.

"I love you so much, Sweetheart." He said; his heart warming at the thought of her lying next to him. He moved closer to her, unable to bear being apart from her no more.

He wanted to stay like this forever; even longer if that were possible. For with her by his side, he didn't need anyone else.

As if by fate, she sighed and put her arm around him, drawing him even closer until it felt as though they were one. He took her hand and kissed it before drifting back to

sleep.

But seconds later, he opened his eyes. Something was definitely amiss.

He rubbed her hand against his cheek; his blood turning cold when he realized what was wrong.

He swallowed hard and daringly turned to face her. When she smiled at him, he froze in shock.

No...This can't be happening...

If he'd ever wondered if it were possible to hyperventilate in bed, he was about to find out.

When she leaned foreword and kissed him, he gasped, recoiling as he scrambled off the bed like a frightened cat.

"DEAR GOD!" He yelled; the words resonating in his ears like a gong.

For the woman lying next to him wasn't Daphne Moon at all...

It was Maris!


	10. Chapter 10

He ran down the stairs, desperately needing a drink. However when he reached the living room, he stopped and looked around in alarm. How in God's name had he ended up

in this cold, unfriendly mansion? Just hours before, he'd gone to sleep at the Montana! He was sure of it! This had to be a dream... or more precisely, a nightmare!

He rushed over to the bar and poured himself a sherry, drinking it in one gulp. The liquid trickled down his throat, causing a burning sensation that would make swallowing

sandpaper feel soothing.

Suddenly he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and he whirled around; his heart beating rapidly at the sight.

"Maris..." He said, slowly backing away as she came near. He gave her a weak smile and an even weaker laugh.

"H-hello."

His breath caught in his throat when she took him in her arms and kissed him.

When the kiss ended, he pulled away, cringing.

Not so long ago, he would have savored this moment like a fine glass of the world's best wine. But now it sickened him. He had to get out of here.

Ignoring her puzzled look, he ran past Maris and up the staircase. In a disillusioned state, he entered his bedroom and changed his clothes. Within minutes, he'd managed to

sneak down the back staircase, past Marta and the cleaning staff, and out the back door.

Safely in his BMW, he backed out of the expansive driveway, narrowly missing Maris' blue Mercedes. He paused only for a moment before he shifted into Drive and exceeded

the speed limit until he came to a screeching halt in the parking garage at the Elliott Bay Towers.

He couldn't get to the elevator fast enough and his hand trembled as he pushed the button for the 19th floor.

When the elevator doors opened, he ran across the hall and pounded on the door. "Frasier! Open up! It's Niles!" he yelled. "I've got to talk to you! This is an emergency!"

Footsteps approached causing him to sigh with relief. His brother would know how to handle this. It was definitely stress from working much too hard. And the horrible fight

he'd had with Daphne had only proven to make things worse. He could hear the unlocking of the door and then it opened.

"Frasier, thank God! I... Oh..."

Suddenly he wished he hadn't come. Just when he thought that things couldn't get any worse...

They did.


	11. Chapter 11

His entire body tensed at the sight. He swallowed hard, glaring at the woman whose singular purpose in life seemed to be making the Crane brothers miserable.

"Lilith..." He said through clinched teeth.

"Hello, Niles." She said with a smile. "It's so nice to see you. Frasier will be so happy you've come over, as am I."

Niles stared at her, unable to believe he'd heard her correctly. "You're...happy to see me?"

"Well of course! We're family aren't we? I mean, you are my brother-in-law. I couldn't love you any more than if you were my own brother!"

Dizziness set in and he grabbed the door frame for support.

"Why Niles, what's wrong?" She asked with genuine concern in her voice. It was the sort of tone he'd heard Daphne use for years. The kind that made him fall in love with

her.

"Oh no! Don't tell me you've gotten another one of your dizzy spells! Come with me and have a seat on the sofa."

To his amazement, she hugged him and then took his hand; leading him into the living room.

"Would you like some wine?" She asked.

Before he could even open his mouth to answer, she touched his cheek; almost like a caress. "Oh God, what am I thinking, offering you wine when you're experiencing

dizziness? Here, I'll get you some tea."

When she disappeared into the kitchen, he looked around his brother's living room. Something was different. He just couldn't figure out what it was.

"Uncle Niles!"

Niles turned to find his nephew in the hallway, excitedly running toward him.

"Freddie! What a nice surprise! I had no idea you... Umph!"

Freddie ran into his uncle's outstretched arms, knocking the breath out of him.

"I love you, Uncle Niles." Frederick said, hugging Niles tightly.

Niles was touched at the young boy's sentiment. "Oh Freddy, that's very sweet. I love you too."

"Oh my... Would you look at that?" Lilith exclaimed stopping to admire the tender uncle/nephew moment. "What a beautiful sight. He really does adore you, Niles. Talks about

you all the time!"

Niles was astonished by this news. "Are you serious? But that's imposs-."

Lilith handed Niles his tea and smiled. "Now don't go denying it, Niles Crane! You're a wonderful uncle and Frederick thinks the world of you! Come to think

of it Frasier and I do as well."

The door unlocked, causing Lilith and Frederick to head for the door. They stood dutifully in the foyer waiting for it to open.

"Frederick, Daddy's home!" Lilith exclaimed with great excitement.

When the door opened, she clutched her hands to her heart and sighed.

"Hello, Darling." She said, wrapping her arms around Frasier.

"Hello my beautiful wife." He said with a smile.

When they kissed passionately, Niles' eyes grew wide. Wife?

"Frasier, what's going on?" Niles asked, watching Frederick run into his father's arms for a bear hug.

"Frasier, Niles is here to see you. He seems a little upset." Lilith said. "I think he really needs some brotherly advice."

"Niles, what a wonderful surprise!" Frasier said, walking over to the sofa to hug his brother. "It's been much too long."

"It has?" Niles asked, wondering where this sudden sentiment had come from.

"Well of course it has. How's Maris by the way?"

Niles was mere seconds from fainting... and there was no fainting couch in sight. Come to think of it there wasn't one at the mansion either.

"Um... Maris?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Well yes. You do remember Maris, don't you? Your wife?" Frasier asked with a grin and a wink toward Lilith.

"Of course... but Maris and I-."

"Are happily married! And I couldn't be prouder to have her for a sister in law!" Frasier said.

"Married?"

Frasier laughed. "Oh Niles, don't tell me you've forgotten what that band of gold on your left hand means!"

Niles looked at his hand in horror, stunned to find that he was indeed wearing a very familiar gold wedding band.

"Frasier... I really need to talk to you... right away." he said, grabbing the side of the sofa for support.

Lilith smiled. "Well I think that Frederick and I will go play some video games in his room while you boys talk. It's so wonderful to see you, Niles."

"Have fun." Frasier said, kissing Lilith. "Don't let him beat you by too much, now!" He added with a chuckle.

"I'll try not to get to terribly distraught when he annihilates me at Space Wars." Lilith said, blowing Frasier a kiss from the hallway.

"Oh... And Niles, do tell Maris hello for me. I'm sorry I haven't called her, but I've just been so terribly busy. Tell her that I promise to make it up to her. We'll

do lunch next week."

"Oh... All right." Niles said wearily.

What in the world was going on?


	12. Chapter 12

Niles rubbed his temples in frustration and lay back on the sofa. "You know, you do look a little peaked, Niles." Frasier said as he hung up his coat. "What's on your mind?"

"I-I'm not sure." Niles said, staring at the ceiling. "Something's wrong."

Frasier sat down in the chair next to his brother. "I'm listening! " He said with a smile.

"Well, something weird is going on and-."

Suddenly he sat up and looked around. "Frasier, where is Dad's chair?"

Frasier shrugged. "I guess it's still at his apartment, why?"

"His apartment? You mean..."

Frasier looked at him blankly, as a surge of anger went through Niles. "Frasier, how could you?" He yelled.

"How could I what, Niles? What are you talking about?"

"You put him in a home, didn't you? I thought we were going to discuss this subject together before we did anything so drastic! Our father may have been shot, but he's not

an invalid! Besides he's got-."

Frasier jumped out of his chair and looked at his little brother in alarm. "WHAT? Dear God, our father's been shot and you're just now telling me? When did this happen?"

Niles looked at his brother, bewildered. "Don't you remember? You're the one who called me! And you were in Boston at the time! Dad was responding to a burglary, and then

you flew home! Then when the incident happened at Dad's apartment, we decided he shouldn't live at home anymore so he moved in here with you and then you hired-."

Frasier laughed. "Oh Niles... You were always such a kidder! I couldn't possibly move Dad in here! Where would Lilith and Frederick sleep?"

"Well I would hope back in Boston where they live!" Niles said.

Again his brother laughed. "Oh Niles, Frederick and Lilith haven't lived in Boston for years! You see, As soon as Lilith heard my plea to move back to Seattle to be with my

wonderful brother and father, she was only too happy to make the move."

"You mean, she and Freddy live here? In this apartment? Why in God's name would you allow her to move in with you?"

"Well of course! We are married you know! And Frederick is our son!"

"You and Lilith got remarried and didn't even tell me? Did you tell Dad?"

"Niles you know perfectly well that Lilith and I have been happily married for years! You were at the wedding! Actually you were the best man IN the wedding! If you hadn't

remembered to bring the rings at the last minute, I don't know what would have-."

"I know for a fact that I wasn't in your wedding because you told me you had a civil ceremony! "

"What? Never in a million years would I get married and not include my brother and father!" Frasier exclaimed.

Niles was speechless. Had his brother gone mad? "Well..." he finally said after a long silence.

"Oh dear... I had no idea that you and Maris were having problems! I'm so sorry." Frasier said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.

Huh?

Niles... it may feel like our wives are a bit too much for us and the only solution is to divorce ourselves from the situation, but trust me it's not the easy way out!"

"No, Frasier I mean that you and Lilith are really divorced, just like Maris and I!"

"If you love and trust another person with all your heart, that's all that since you mentioned remarrying Lilith, you know..." Frasier continued, apparently ignoring

his brother. "We have a significant anniversary coming month and that would be the perfect way to celebrate...by renewing our vows! And how wonderful if Freddie could

share in that glorious moment!"

"Oh... Okay." Niles said nervously. "So what about Dad?"

"What about Dad?"

"Well how is it possible that you know nothing about him getting shot? He's been getting physical therapy daily from... by the way, where's Daphne?"

"Who?"

"Daphne. Daphne Moon. The woman you hired to take care of Dad."

"Oh Niles, don't be ridiculous! Dad doesn't need a nursemaid or a therapist! He's perfectly healthy! He lives alone, just like he always has!"

Niles rose from the sofa and walked woodenly to the door.

"Niles!" Frasier yelled. "Where are you going?"

"I-I need to talk to Dad. Um... what's his address again?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already! You visit him all the time!" Frasier said with a laugh.

Niles laughed nervously. "I know... but... um... I'm just.. I haven't been feeling well lately and..."

"Oh, but Niles, do you think you should be going out? Why don't you call Maris and tell her that you'll stay here with us? You can sleep in the guest room. I'll write you a

prescription for anything you need." Frasier said.

What? His brother doing something completely unethical?

"No... I.. I think I should just leave. But thank you Frasier."

"Leave? Niles I-."

Before his brother could protest, Niles hurried out of the Elliot Bay Towers feeling more confused than ever.


	13. Chapter 13

Niles' BMW sped through the streets of Seattle until he came to the address that Frasier had written down.

But wait... this couldn't be right...

This was where their father lived? It was appalling! Why, this place made the Shangri-La look like... well, the Montana! But why would Frasier send their father here?

He had to get to the bottom of this. He rushed into the lobby, cringing at the sight. Perhaps Frasier was in a state of psychosis; one that caused him to believe that he was

still happily married, which is why he shipped their father off to this... There were simply no words to describe this place.

The thought caused Niles even more anxiety. Frasier was always the strong one; the one who saw more grounded than his little brother. All the more reason to talk to his

father. But for some strange reason, Niles felt a wave of nervousness come over him as he searched for the apartment number.

Ahh... here it is... Number... 12. Number 12? What kind of apartment complex only has twelve units?

His hand shook as he knocked on the door.

"Dad?"

When the door was opened, his father smiled and hugged him. "Hey, Son! Good to see you! You're late, you know! I was expecting you a lot earlier!"

Late? For what?

"Come in! Sorry this place is such a mess. Eddie had a field day with the newspaper!"

Niles looked around the place in horror. "Dad, I'm so sorry about all this." He said.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For... well... This is really where you live?"

To his amazement, the question caused his father to light up. "Yeah, isn't it great? I just love it!"

"You can't be serious!" Niles said.

"Oh yeah, it's wonderful! And Eddie loves it, too!"

"But Dad, what about Frasier's place?"

"What about it?"

"Well, I can't believe that he just... kicked you out like that! I mean what could have possibly happened between you two to cause him to do something so

extreme?"

"Kicked me out? Niles, are you feeling well? There's no way I'd move in with him! Why we'd be at each other's throats all the time! We'd never be able to

get along."

"But you seemed to be getting along just fine the other day when-."

Niles stopped suddenly, as his father looked at him, puzzled.

"When what?"

"Um... Dad... I think we need to talk."

"Sure, have a seat." His father said, clearing a space on the sofa.

"Thank you." Niles said as he sat down.

"Beer?"

Niles shuddered at the sight of the tiny refrigerator in the incredibly small dining area.

"Um... no thanks. Listen Dad... About Frasier..."

"Yeah?"

"Have you been feeling well lately?"

His father took a swig of his beer. "Yeah, just fine. Why?"

"Well, perhaps you're experiencing some memory loss. It's perfectly normal at your age, and maybe if we just took you and Eddie back to Frasier's, it would help to-."

Niles couldn't help but notice that something was different... "Um, Dad?"

"Yeah, Niles?"

"Where-where's your cane?"

"My what?"

"Why, your cane! The one you've been using ever since you were shot."

"Shot? Oh Niles what's the matter with you? That's a horrible thing to wish upon your father!"

"But Dad, don't you remember? You were shot while checking out a burglary! And then Frasier took you and Eddie in, and that's when-."

His father laughed, confusing Niles even more. "Oh, I know what you're talking about."

Niles sighed with relief. "Thank God because I was-."

"Fras and I were just talking about that the other day on the phone About how horrible it would be if something were to happen to me and I'd have to move in with him and

Lilith. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Lilith like she was my own daughter-and Maris too, son! But there just wouldn't be enough room. But the way your brother loves

Eddie, it might be fun! I should really bring Eddie over for a visit some day. Those two are just the best of friends!"

Niles swallowed hard. "Dad? I think I'll have that beer now."

"Oh sure... No problem, Son!" His father said, walking over to the mini refrigerator without as much as a limp.

The dizziness Niles felt was overwhelming and he began to wonder how he would possibly drive home.

"Here you go, Son!"

"Thanks, Dad." Niles said, taking the beer can. He opened it quickly and drank its contents in one gulp.

"There's plenty more where that came from!" his dad said with a smile. "Want another?"

"No, thank you. What are you watching?"

"Oh, the World Series of course! This is incredible! Ninth inning, Mariners down by 2 runs and no outs and... Oh My God I can't believe it!"

Niles blinked, watching in complete astonishment as his father jumped of the couch and began to cheer.

"What's going on?"

"Mariners just won the World Series... Again!"

"Again? But you said they had the worst record of any team! Fewer touchdowns and-."

"Touchdowns? Oh Niles... you're such a kidder! You're the biggest sports fan I know!"

Okay, now Niles knew he'd lost his mind. He hated sports!

Um... Dad... I don't understand. How is it that you don't remember being shot? I mean, you're doing remarkably well. Daphne's done an incredible job and I realize that I

don't thank her enough for all she's done for you."

"Who's Daphne?"

Niles felt his heart stop. "W-what?"

"Who's Daphne? I don't know anyone named Daphne?"

Niles stood and put his hand on his father's forehead. "Are you sure you shouldn't lie down? How could you have forgotten Daphne? Frasier hired her to be your physical

therapist when-."

"Are you crazy? I don't need a nursemaid! I'm perfectly fine! I'm not a cripple you know!"

"Dad, I never said-."

"Now if you want to talk about Maris or your brother or Lilith or anyone else, fine! But don't come over here and then degrade me! I don't know where you got this insane

idea that I'd been shot, but I'm perfectly fine!"

Niles stood; ignoring the blood rushing to his head. "I think I should probably go now."

"That's a good idea!" His dad yelled. "Maybe find a therapist of your own!"

When his father turned his attention back to the television, Niles quickly made his escape. There was only one place he could go to calm his nerves... and it definitely wasn't

home.


	14. Chapter 14

Niles rushed into Café Nervosa and sat down in the same secluded booth where he'd sat just days before, crying his heart out over Daphne.

Daphne...

Just the sound of her voice inside his head caused his heart to ache.

He looked around the café and then pinched himself in the hopes that any second now, he'd wake up from this terrifying nightmare. Unfortunately, the only thing that it

accomplished was a painful redness and a wrinkled shirt sleeve. And the even more painful reality that his world had been turned upside down.

He sat in silence trying to figure out what it could all possibly mean. But before he could sort out his thoughts, the barista approached him. He groaned when he recognized

her from before, when she'd managed to ruin his favorite drink by dousing it with cinnamon. It definitely wasn't the first time they'd gotten his drink order wrong.

"What can I get for you?" The barista asked, looking much too happy to see him.

"I'll have a latte with the faintest-."

"...whisper of cinnamon. I got it." The barista said, smiling as she wrote down his order.

Well, that was certainly strange...

When she was gone, he resumed his brainstorm session by taking out a pen and paper;

Frasier married to Lillith

Dad never got shot

Lillith actually pleasant

Frederick hugging his uncle

Mariners win Super Bowl

Maris-

His hand trembled as he wrote the name of his dreaded ex-wife. He stared at the list, trying desperately to figure out what it all meant. Dear God... He'd forgotten the most important point of all...

Daphne non-existent.

A lump formed in his throat when he wrote her name and once again he found himself unsuccessfully fighting back tears.

She was most certainly existent in his heart.

"Here you are, Dr. Crane." The barista said, giving him a cheerful smile as she handed him the drink. A familiar aroma filled his senses; one of cinnamon that wasn't too

overpowering.

Just as he was about to take a sip, something made him stop and examine the drink. It was just as he feared... For sprinkled on the top was the faintest hint of cinnamon.

He took a sip and sighed. It was without a doubt, the most perfect beverage he'd ever consumed.

An unsettling feeling swirled inside of him as he slowly began to realize what had happened.

He rose from his chair in a well-known state of anxiety, trying to catch his breath. It all made sense now...

"THAT'S IT!" he yelled, startling himself with his own outburst. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

Feeling more dejected than ever, he sunk down into the wooden chair and covered his face with his hands, unable to stop the tears from coming.

"Whoa!" said a voice from beside him.

He looked up to see a young red-headed girl staring at him... with a ridiculous coffee cup hat atop her head.

"Alex wasn't kidding when she said you were crying!"

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, not bothering to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Do I know you?"

The girl blushed. "Um... Well, no. But you might know my best friend, Alex?"

"Alex..." he repeated, trying to remember why the name sounded so familiar. "I don't know any Alex!"

"Oh, sure you do!" the girl said with a smile that was much too wide. "She was just in here a couple of days ago. She told me that they don't serve cheeseburgers and root

beer and I told her 'Well of course they don't! It's a coffee shop, not a burger stand! But then again she is a wizard and... Oh no..."

She looked at him in horror, her hand clamped over her mouth.

"She's really gonna kill me now! I wasn't supposed to tell anyone! Oh, this is bad! This is so bad!" She groaned.

"Who are you?" Niles asked, wishing she would just go away. "And more importantly, what are you doing here? And even more importantly, what on earth are you wearing?"

The girl smiled proudly and looked herself up and down.

"Oh this? I created this especially for this occasion! I call it my coffee ensemble!"

"Coffee ensemble?" Niles repeated.

"Yeah! See? I have a plush coffee cup hat, dangling silver coffee cup earrings, a matching green and blue coffee cup print shirt and skirt, and white socks with coffee cups

on them! Oh and brown-ish shoes... I forget what the real color is called, though."

"Coffee?" Niles asked, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"Yeah, that's right! Boy, Alex told me you were smart and it wasn't that I didn't believe her but now I can see why she'd say something like that, what with your fancy suit

and-."

"What are you doing here?" Niles interrupted.

"Oh, well, Alex sent me! She wanted to make sure you were okay! Isn't that the sweetest thing?"

"She sent you? What, like by magic or something?" Niles scoffed.

"Well yeah. I mean she is a wizard and ... Oh no... Not again!" she said with a groan.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"Oh, I'm Harper Finkle!" Harper said excitedly as she extended her hand.

Niles looked at her, wincing at her ridiculous ensemble as he shook her hand.

"Dr. Niles Crane."

"Wow, you really are a doctor!" Harper said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Miss Finkle, why don't you give your friend Alex a message for me. Tell her that I'm not sure how this happened, but ever since she insisted on helping me, things have

changed. And NOT for the better! Or more to the point, SHE'S COMPLETELY RUINED MY LIFE!"

Startled, Harper stepped back. "Whoa! What's with you? I thought you'd be happy!"

"Happy?" Niles yelled. "You call this happy?"

Harper winced. "Oh no... ALEX! GET IN HERE NOW!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Within seconds Alex appeared out of nowhere. Niles recognized her instantly; It was the annoying dark-haired girl who he'd spoken with before. The girl who

ruined his life.

"Harper, what's the problem?" Alex sneered. "Mason and I were about to go howl at the moon and-Oh hey!" she said, smiling at Niles. "How's it going?"

"It's going horribly!" Niles yelled. "So why don't you wave your magic wand and fix it?"

Alex's jaw dropped. "Wand? How did you know I had a... HARPER! How could you? I told you not to tell anyone!"

"I know... I'm sorry!" Harper whined. "It just... slipped out!"

Alex sighed audibly. "It's fine. I'll fix it. But why did you interrupt my date with Mason for me to come all the way back here?"

"I think you'd better ask him." Harper said, pointing to Niles.


	15. Chapter 15

Alex looked at Niles. "All right, what's the big deal, Mister...?"

"Doctor." He corrected.

"Mister Doctor. Wow, what a weird name!" She said, ignoring his perplexed look.

"You've ruined my life!"

"Ruined it? What do you mean? I gave you exactly what I asked for!"

"I never asked for this!" Niles yelled.

"Yes you did! You said, I wish my life was perfect!"

"You call this perfect?"

"Well yeah!" Alex said. "You're happily married, your brother is nice to you, your dad never got shot-."

"Exactly, and Daphne doesn't exist!" Niles finished. "How can my life be perfect without Daphne? She's the most perfect human being on this earth! She's an angel and a

goddess and I love her more than words can express."

Harper smiled. "That's beautiful." She said tearfully.

"Yeah, yeah... so what are you saying, Mister Doctor?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" he asked.

Alex laughed. "Well it's your name, isn't it?"

Niles opened his mouth to remind her of his name as pleasantly as possible but he knew that his answer would be anything but pleasant. And so he decided to keep quiet.

He swallowed hard. "I want my life back! The way it was before you came into Café Nervosa! Where the baseball team was so bad that there's no chance they'll ever get to

the Super Bowl, my father uses a cane and lives with my brother, my ex wife is out of my life forever, and most of all, that Daphne isn't just a dream! She's real! I want to...

hold her in my arms and kiss her the way she's never been kissed before. I want to... beg her forgiveness for my being so insensitive to her sorrows. She was hurting and I

completely crushed her feelings! I have to make it up to her. I-I love her!"

Harper sniffled and threw her arms around Niles, causing him to recoil in surprise. When he glared at her she let go of him. "I'm sorry, but that was just so beautiful!" She said

tearfully.

"All right. Are you sure about this?" Alex asked.

"Quite sure." Niles said.

"Okay then... But first things first..."

Alex pulled out her wand and twirled it around and around, pointing it at Niles' head. "Go back in time remove the sign... of me."

A sprinkling of dust fell from the ceiling and then swirled around the room.

"Great, Okay, now... A perfect life is not so fun; give Mister Doctor back his normal one."

And within seconds, another sprinkling of dust swirled around the room and out the door, sending Alex and Harper with it.


	16. Chapter 16

Niles blinked, amazed to find that he was still sitting at the same table in Café Nervosa. His head throbbed with the worst headache imaginable.

What in the world just happened?

Oh right... He'd been sitting here drowning his sorrows in a cinnamon saturated latte that was now ice cold.

Just like his heart.

Unable to shake the strange feeling that came over him; he tossed his drink into the trash can and hurried out of the café.

His BMW raced through the streets of Seattle until he arrived at the Elliot Bay Towers. He ran through the lobby and into the elevator, nervously waiting as he was whisked

to the 19th floor.

"Frasier, open up!" Niles said, banging on the door.

"Good God, Niles what's gotten into you?" Frasier said as he opened the door and ushered his brother inside. "The neighbors will complain!"

"Forget the neighbors! I need to talk to you!"

"All right. Have a seat." Frasier said.

Niles removed his coat and went to hang it up, stopping when he looked around the living room.

"Hey Niles!" Martin said.

Niles dropped his coat on the sofa and ran to where his father sat in his favorite beat up chair.

"Dad! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you!" He said.

"Then don't!" Martin snapped. "Can't you see I'm watching the game?"

"Ah yes, football... The national pastime!" Niles said.

Martin looked at him in confusion. "Football? Niles this is a Mariners game, not a Seahawks game! It's baseball!"

"So you're right Dad! Oh, and judging by the lopsided score, they have nary a chance to go to the Super Bowl!"

"The Superbowl? Niles that's for football and-Oh never mind!"

"Eddie's here too!" Niles exclaimed. "Isn't that wonderful Frasier?"

"No, not really." Frasier said, glaring at Eddie just as the dog sat in front of him and began to stare.

"Dad, can't you get that dog to stop staring at me?" Frasier groaned.

"Get over here Eddie!" Martin yelled, as the dog scampered away from Frasier and into Martin's lap.

Niles turned to his brother. "Frasier, about our talk the other day..."

"It's all right Niles. You're entitled to your opinion and when it comes to Shakespearian Opera, you've definitely got the upper hand."

"Oh, no. I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about Lilith."

Niles blinked, amazed that his brother seemed to have no recollection of their conversation just days before.

"Lilith? Dear God, please don't bring up that woman's name right now!"

"Well she is your wife and I just-."

Frasier stared at his little brother in shock. "My wife? Dear God Niles, don't be ridiculous! I wouldn't marry that woman again if she were the last woman on earth!"

"Well thank God for that!" Martin said. "Now look you two, I'm trying to watch the baseball game here!"

Niles couldn't help watching a bit of the game with his father.

"Boy, the Mariners are terrible this year!" Martin said. "They'll be lucky if they get a playoff spot, but believe me, I'm not gonna hold my breath!"

"Niles was overcome with relief. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me! I had an inkling that the Mariners were never Superbowl contenders!"

"World Series, Niles! Not Super-oh never mind!" Martin said. "I know they're bad but you don't have to rub it in! Geez! I can't believe I waited all winter for this!"

As a strange silence filled the condo, Niles swallowed hard and asked the question he'd been dreading and anticipating for days.

"So, Dad... Frasier... Have you... heard from Daphne?"

Frasier looked at Martin and then at Niles. "Um, no Niles. Actually we thought she was with you. Did something happen?"

Niles wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Daphne existed...

Maybe it had all been a bad dream...

Frasier walked over to Niles and put his hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, Niles!" Martin called from his chair. "I almost forgot to tell you! Daphne called earlier, but she sounded pretty upset."

"Well that's just great, Dad!" Frasier snapped. "You could have mentioned that earlier... like the minute he came in the door, but you were too busy watching that ridiculous

game!"

"All right, fine!" Martin yelled. "I'm sorry Niles!"

"Dad can be so irresponsible sometimes!" Frasier added.

"It's all right, Dad, Frasier." Niles said sadly. "She probably doesn't even want to talk to me anyway."

"What happened, Son?" Martin asked.

"Oh, it was my fault." Niles said. "I came home extremely upset and I completely dismissed Daphne, assuming that she didn't care about me or my crises at work. It turns out

she was facing a crisis of her own. I hurt her, Frasier! How could I do that to the woman I love?"

"Sounds like you were hurting, too." Frasier said.

"It was horrible, Frasier! A patient threatened me at work and... well now I'm finished as a professional psychiatrist, that's for sure."

"Dear God, why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, Frasier it's not something I'm proud of. It doesn't matter anyway. I've lost Daphne forever. I -I should go."

"Niles, please!" Frasier said as Niles grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"Look, let's talk about this. You can't think that this is your fault! I'll call around and see what I can do to help you. I won't let you lose your license. You're a brilliant

psychiatrist and I don't want to see you lose what you worked so hard to earn!"

Niles smiled at his brother from the foyer. "Thanks, Frasier."


	17. Chapter 17

Niles walked into his apartment at the Montana, and tossed his keys on a nearby table.

"Daphne? Are you here, my love?"

To his dismay, the question was met with silence.

It was just as he thought. This nightmare was real. Although it was quite a relief to find out that most things were back to normal. But without Daphne...

Well, life just wasn't worth living.

Resisting the urge to cry, he made himself a sherry and sat down on the fainting couch, resting his head against the pillow.

Minutes later he heard the unmistakable sound of a key in the lock and the doorknob turning.

Could it be?

His heartbeat increased as he sat the empty glass on the table and rose from the couch, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Daphne?"

She stood before him, looking more beautiful than he could ever remember, the tears in her eyes tugging at his heart.

"I-I'm so sorry, Niles." She said. "I can't believe I-."

He moved toward her and took her face in his hands, silencing her with a kiss. He kissed her over and over again until they were both breathless. When the

kisses ended, he stared into her eyes.

"So... does this mean that you forgive me?" Daphne asked. "I'm so sorry... I just..."

When her voice broke, he took her in his arms and held her close.

"I thought you were gone forever." He whispered into her hair.

"N-never... I love you." She whispered back.

They kissed again and then walked hand in hand to the fainting couch.

"Daphne, I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings." Niles said, kissing her hand. "It was cruel and inconsiderate of me to put my problems above your own."

Daphne touched his face and smiled. "Me problems aren't really problems at all. I was just so frustrated. Your father can be quite a nuisance when he wants to be. But Niles

you were hurting and well, I ... Did a patient really threaten you?"

Niles averted his eyes. The subject was still a painful one and until it was resolved he wasn't sure that he'd ever be comfortable talking about it.

Daphne leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Did he hurt you? This patient, I mean?"

"Well, actually it was a woman, and yes she did hurt me... emotionally. But Daphne it doesn't matter now because-."

"Niles..." She said resting her head on his chest. "Can you find it in your kind, warm heart to forgive me?"

He laced his fingers through hers. "There's nothing to forgive. I was the insensitive one."

"I love you, Niles." She said, kissing his hand.

Niles put his hand on her chin and tilted her face toward his for a kiss. "I've loved you since the moment I saw you."

She smiled and kissed him again. Seconds later, however, Niles pulled away and rose from the sofa.

"What's wrong?" Daphne asked.

"Something's missing here." He said.

"Missing? What are you talking about?" Daphne asked.

"I'll be right back."

Ignoring Daphne's confused look, Niles smiled and bounded up the staircase.

Once in the master bedroom, he opened his nightstand drawer and removed the velvet pouch containing Daphne's engagement ring.

"Niles! What's going on?" He heard her yell from downstairs.

"I'll be right down, my love." He called to her.

When he looked around the bedroom a second time, he had an idea. Minutes later he returned the ring to the pouch and put it back in his dresser before running down the

stairs.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on or do I have to drag it out of you?" Daphne asked.

He smiled and took her hand. "Come upstairs with me."

"Niles..."

She took his hand and followed him up the stairs.

"Niles, where are we... Oh..." She gasped in surprise when she saw what he had done. "What's all this?"

Niles glanced around the bedroom, admiring his attempt at spontaneity.

There were candles everywhere and rose petals scattered across the bed.

"For you..." He said simply. "Because I love you."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him toward her for a kiss.

"I love you, Niles."

"Well in that case there's only one thing that would make this moment

perfect." Niles said.

"How could you possibly make this even more-Oh..."

Tears filled Daphne's eyes when he removed the ring from the velvet pouch

and lowered himself to one knee.

"Daphne will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

"Of course I'll marry you." She said tearfully. "I'm so sorry I took the ring off

the way I did. I was being selfish and-."

"You're so beautiful, with your face illuminated in the candlelight." He said as

he kissed her. Slowly he slipped the ring on her finger and led her to the bed

where they fell onto the pillows, making up for lost time.

"Thanks, Alex." Niles said, interrupting their series of kisses.

Daphne pulled away and looked at him. "Who's Alex?"

Niles blinked, unaware that he'd even spoken.

"That's funny... I have no idea... But whoever it is, I'm eternally grateful to

them because I now have the perfect life."


	18. Chapter 18

"Alex, can't we go home now? This place is creepy!"

"Harper, noooo! Not until we've talked to Frasier! I mean, duh! That is the whole reason I came here! I have to talk to him about Justin and Max! Especially Justin! He's

driving me crazy!"

Harper sighed and smiled dreamily as she clutched her hands to her heart.

"Oh... Justin's so cute; I can't imagine him being anything less than adorable!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh he's less, all right. A lot less!"

Harper glanced at the blue sign on the side of the large building. "K-A-C-L..."

She read. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Alex laughed "I don't know, but maybe it stands for 'Kids Are Cool Losers!"

"Why would you want to get advice from someone who thinks you're a loser?" Harper asked.

Alex sighed irritably. "Not me! Justin and Max! Come on, Harper. Let's go find Frasier so we can get out of here! Mom and Dad will go through the roof when they find out

that I used magic to get us to Seattle and I'll probably be grounded for a year! But... if it gets Justin and Max off my back, it'll be totally worth it!"

They entered the building and walked down the hallway.

"Wow, this place is cool!" Harper exclaimed. "But are you sure that this Frasier person really lives here?"

"That's what Mister Doctor told me." Alex replied.

"Who?"

"Mister Doctor! The guy in that weird looking Starbucks! Café Ner-voos-whatever it's called."

"You mean the guy who cries?"

"Yeah, him."

"So Frasier is his brother?"

"I guess so."

"How'd they get such weird names?"

"Beats me. I guess I should be thankful that my parents gave me a normal name." Alex said.

Harper rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah... A girl named Alex. That's really normal!"

They continued to walk through the hallways. "You know, this place looks more like an office building than someone's house." Harper remarked.

"It's called eclectic." Alex said

"What the heck does that mean?" Harper asked.

"I have no idea." Alex replied. "But my mom says stuff like that all the time. Maybe it's Spanish. But then it would be e-clec-tico!"

"Whatever... Whoa! Those are some really weird looking people!" Harper said, glancing at the pictures on the wall.

Alex scoffed. "Yeah, I know. And I thought that my relatives were weird! Look at these names... Gil, Noel, Bulldog..."

"Someone callin' me?"

Alex and Harper turned to find themselves face to face with a short, stocky guy with barely any hair.

"Why would we call you?" Alex asked, looking at him with disgust.

At the sight of the two girls, the creepy guy grinned. "Well... you two are a little young for me, but I don't see anyone else around and-."

"Eww!" Alex said, backing away from him.

"Alex, what's going on?"

"Harper, don't you get it? He's trying to hit on us!" Alex said.

Harper made a fist and took the stance of a Kung Fu Warrior.

"Well, you'd better watch who you're dealing with because I can put up a pretty good fight, so back off, Mister!"

"Harper, he's not going to hit us! At least, I don't think so."

The man held up his hands and laughed. "Hey, no need to get violent! So... what are your names?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Alex said, smiling sweetly.

"Yeah, your name and your phone number!" The guy laughed.

"Bulldog!" came a booming voice.

They looked up to see a rotund man wearing a suit glaring at the man that was apparently named Bulldog.

Geez, Bulldog's mom must have been in a weird mood when she named him!

"Wow, your dad looks really mad!" Alex said.

"H-He sure does!" Harper said, clutching onto Alex in fear.

"What? Are you chicks' crazy? He's not my dad!" Bulldog yelled.

"Don't you have a show to do?" the rotund man asked; his hands on his hips.

He did a double take when he saw Alex and Harper. "Hey! How did you kids get in here?"

"Um... well..."

"I'll give you five minutes to get out, or I'm calling your parents!"

"Oh no..." Harper said, turning white as a ghost. "W-we're sorry! We really are! W-we just..."

"It was my fault for being so harsh. I'm Kenny, the station manager." The rotund man said.

Angrily he turned to Bulldog. "You see what you've done? Now you have thirty seconds to get in there and do your show! I'm not paying you to broadcast a

lot of dead air! But first... apologize to the girls! They look terrified!"

"Oh... all right." Bulldog said, glancing sheepishly at Harper and Alex. "All right, um... look... I'm sorry if I freaked you out, okay?" He extended his hand, prompting Harper and

Alex to put their hands behind their backs.

"Okay... how about this?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out some dollar bills which he shoved into the slot of a nearby candy machine. Seconds later he removed

two chocolate bars and showed them to Alex and Harper.

"No hard feelings, okay?" he asked with a laugh.

"Oohhh no!" Harper said. "We can't take candy from strangers. Right, Alex?"

Slowly she moved toward the rotund man, using him as a shield.

"Come on, take it!" Bulldog yelled, thrusting the candy bars at the girls. "My bark is a lot worse than my bite!"

He barked loudly, and then laughed, causing the girls to scream and run down the hallway.

"Come on Harper, this way!" Alex yelled, trying to catch her breath.

They rounded the corner, shrieking when they almost collided with a distinguished looking man who wore a really nice suit.

"Dear God, I am sorry!" The man said. "I'm afraid that I was completely engrossed in my reading and wasn't watching where I was going. I'm terribly sorry if I scared you. Are

you two all right?"

Harper scoffed. "We will be as long as that Bulldog guy doesn't come after us again!"

The man laughed. "Ah yes... Well, Bulldog... He's been quite an addition to our family at KACL."

"His dad's totally weird too." Alex said.

The man's eyes narrowed in confusion. "His dad?"

Suddenly Alex recognized him. "Oh my God! You're Frasier!"

Frasier smiled. "That's Doctor, and thanks for listening."

"I'm Alex and this is my best friend, Harper."

Frasier extended his hand and smiled. "Well, it's always nice to meet a fan or two."

"Oh, we're not fans." Alex said.

"No way! Not at all!" Harper said proudly.

"I beg your pardon?" Frasier asked.

"Um... She means that we heard about you online." Alex said nervously.

"Oh... Well, I'm flattered that you were doing research about my work." Frasier said.

"Actually I was just looking for someone to talk to about my brothers." Alex said. "They're driving me crazy!"

Frasier looked at his watch. "Well, I have a few minutes. Why don't we go over here and talk?"

Alex nodded and followed him to a row of chairs in the corner of the hallway.

"So..." Frasier said when they sat down. "You said you were having trouble with your brothers."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Totally."

"Are these your older brothers or younger brothers?"

"I have one of each."

"Oh I see. Well whey don't you tell me what's bothering you? And remember... I'm listening."

"Yeah, whatever. Um, I have two brothers, Justin and Max. They're always bothering me and never leave me alone! Especially Justin, my older brother. He's the worst!

Whenever I ask him to help me, he just laughs at me and tells me how lame I am! I thought older brothers were supposed to help their little sisters! Not make fun of them!

Although I have to admit that making fun of him is a lot of fun!"

"I'm sure it is." Fraser said. "And I can certainly relate. I have a younger brother myself."

"Mister Doctor." Alex said, proud that she'd remembered the man's name.

"Come again?"

"Mister Doctor! Short guy, nice clothes. Really good at pretending to read, and even better at crying. Don't you know your own brother?"

"Well of course I know my own brother! Niles is... Dear God! Did you say he was crying?"

"Niles! That's his name! Yeah, he was totally crying! I couldn't believe it! I mean, my dad doesn't even cry in front of people!"

Frasier's expression turned serious. "Oh Lord. I knew he was hurting, but I had no idea it was so serious. I should have sensed it, though. First this fight with Daphne, then

his patient jeopardizing his career. Losing his place in our wine club. I simply must call him, so if you'll excuse me-."

"But what about my brothers?" Alex asked.

"Oh, right. Well, sibling rivalry is a normal part of growing up. You are all going through changes and the road to adulthood is indeed a bumpy one. Conflicts are bound to

rise sooner or later. As much as I hate to admit it, there is still quite a bit of professional and personal competition between Niles and I, even as adults."

"But I still don't understand!" Alex whined.

"The key to successful relationships-at any age-is communication. It seems like you have a lot to work out between you and your brothers. Just try to open the lines of

communication and resolve the situation rationally."

"You mean, like talk to them?"

Frasier sighed. "Yes, Alex. Talk to them."

"But I can't just invite them into my room and talk! It's totally embarrassing!"

"How about going to a place that you all like, such as a favorite hang-out as my son likes to say?" Frasier asked.

"Um... Okay. I'll think about it. Thanks, Doctor Frasier!" Alex said.

"Anytime, Alex." Frasier replied.

Alex rose from the chair and dutifully shook Frasier's hand. "Oh and Doctor Frasier?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Niles that I'm sorry I ruined his life while trying to give him a perfect one and that I hope things are back to normal now."

"Alex!" Harper hissed from behind her. "You can't tell him that! Niles is supposed to have forgotten all about you! Remember?"

"I'll be sure and give him the message." Frasier said, giving Alex and Harper a weird look. "Nice meeting you both by the way."

"All right. You ready to go, Harper?" Alex asked when they were alone.

"Yeah. This place is too weird!" Harper said.

Alex looked around to make sure that no one was looking, and then twirled her wand over and over her head.

Seattle is nice and very savory but we prefer to be in Waverly... Place.

Suddenly Alex and Harper disappeared among a shower of glittery sparkles.


	19. Chapter 19

Frasier walked into Café Nervosa, smiling when he saw his brother and future sister-in-law sitting at their favorite corner table holding hands and sharing a kiss.

"Well, it's nice to see you two so happy." He said as he sat down.

Daphne blushed and pulled away from her fiance. "Hello Frasier."

"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just on my way home from a meeting at work." Frasier said.

"Important meeting?" Niles asked.

Frasier sighed. "No, just the usual monthly meeting. It never fails that there's always one person who asks so many questions to cause an hour meeting to stretch into

two."

"So... how many questions did you ask this time?" Niles asked with a grin.

"Niles why do you always assume I'm talking about myself?" Frasier snapped.

Then, seeing his brother's raised eyebrows he smiled.

"Oh all right it was me! But I tell you these new policies they have in place are just outlandish! I mean they're fine for people like Bulldog and Noel, but not me! I have ethics

and standards to adhere to you know!"

"I thought as much." Niles laughed.

"I don't blame you for speakin' your mind, Frasier." Daphne said. "Why I was just tellin' me mum the other day that I wish I would have spoken up more often in school.

Things would have been a lot better if I had. The one time I did, I got sent right to the principal's office!"

"Oh my love... why didn't you tell me?" Niles asked, putting his arm around her and pulling her close for a hug.

"Niles, it's really no big deal. I mean I just didn't like the way they were servin' so tiny portions at lunch and expectin' us to be full for the rest of the day!"

Daphne said.

"Well, if I had been there, I would have given them a piece of my mind!" Niles said. "Imagine, treating you so shabbily!"

Daphne laughed. "Niles..."

Frasier watched his brother and future sister-in-law with amusement. "Well, it seems that you two have reconciled a little more than I thought."

"Ever since our little... disagreement, Niles has been a bit overprotective if you ask me." Daphne said.

"Nothing's too good for you, my love." Niles said, kissing her without any concern that his brother was watching them.

Frasier smiled. "Well, like I said before, I love seeing you two so happy. It just warms my heart."

"Niles, can I talk to you for a minute?" Frasier asked.

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

Immediately Daphne rose from the table and grabbed her purse.

"Where are you going?" Niles asked.

Daphne kissed her fiance and smiled. "I know a hint when I hear one. I don't want to pry into personal business between you and your brother. I'll

see you at home. I need to go check on your father anyway."

"Thank you, Daphne." Frasier said. "And tell Dad I'll be home soon."

"I will. See you later, Frasier. I love you Niles." She said kissing him again.

"Oh and I love you, Sweetheart." Niles said. "And I'll miss you terribly!"

"Oh Niles!" Daphne laughed. "You can be so over-dramatic! I'm just goin' to your brother's house."

When Niles didn't answer, she smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're always lookin' after me. That's just one of the reasons I love you so much."

Frasier sighed, watching his future sister in law walk out of the café, glancing lovingly at her fiance.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" Niles asked, blowing Daphne a kiss as she passed by the window.

"It's about the patient you mentioned to me before. The one who threatened \you."

Niles expression fell and he looked away. "Oh..."

"Now Niles, I know how difficult this is, but you should be fine now." Frasier said.

Niles looked at his brother with concern.

"What do you mean?"

"Well this goes entirely against my ethics, but you are my brother and I love you. You've worked much too hard to have your career ruined by some... psychosomatic

woman. I took the liberty of talking with your peers who gave me some insight on this person. Then I went directly to the board and demanded that they do something

about her! So as of now, that woman is no longer a patient of yours!"

"But Frasier, I-."

"Now Niles, I know how you dislike my meddling in your affairs, especially if it's a professional matter, but I just can't stand to see your life's work destroyed! Believe me, it's

for the best. The board spoke very highly of your competence as a professional therapist and agreed to give you some extra time off from work, should you need it. Lord

knows you've been through a lot. I can't even imagine the hell that woman put you through."

Niles stared at his brother in disbelief.

"You... You did all of this for me?"

"Yes, but there's no need to-."

Niles rose from the chair and went to his brother hugging him fiercely.

"Thank you, Frasier. I can't tell you how much this means to me... and Daphne too! Now if you'll excuse me, I must get home to my fiance. I miss her terribly."

As he watched his brother leave, Frasier smiled. "But Niles she barely left five minutes ago! How can you miss her already?"

But Niles didn't answer, and instead rushed out of the café.

Frasier smiled, realizing that he already had his answer. Niles and Daphne were deeply in love... and love was the greatest healer of all.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my wonderful husband for coming up with the idea to do a Frasier/Wizards crossover and also for helping me write the Wizards portion of this story!

(Waverly Place)

"Alex, where have you been?" Justin demanded when Alex appeared in the living room. "Mom and Dad freaked when they found out that you were gone! I had to cover for

you!"

Alex's looked at her brother in shock. "You covered for me?"

"Well I didn't want to, but-."

"Let me guess... Mom and Dad threatened to ground you if you didn't cave."

"Worse, they threatened to ban me from tutoring algebra after school!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Whoa! Your social life would totally disappear!"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Justin said as he headed upstairs.

"Justin, wait!" Alex called to him.

Justin turned around "Why, so you can insult me again?"

"No. Um... We need to talk. Really talk." Alex said.

Her older brother looked at her in disbelief and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "All right, Alex. What are you trying to pull this time?"

"Nothing! I just... think we should talk."

Justin put his hand on her forehead. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine. Hey! Why don't we go out for pizza! My treat! And we'll take Max!"

"Take Max where?" Her little brother said as he walked into the living room.

"Alex is taking us out for pizza!" Justin said.

"Cool! Can I take my pet lizard?" Max asked. At Alex and Justin's perplex look, he added "He won't eat much. He gets lonely if he stays at home by himself!"

"No!" Justin said. "That thing is disgusting!"

"Hey be quiet!" Max said, gesturing for Justin to lower his voice. "He might hear you!"

"Max, that lizard hasn't heard anything in a long time and won't be hearing anything ever again. He's dead, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." Max said. "But can I still bring him?"

"Eww!" Alex said.

Max, no lizard, all right?" Justin said sternly.

"All right! Geez! So who's paying?" Max asked.

"I am!" Alex said proudly.

Justin scoffed. "Yeah, like you really have enough money to feed all three of us."

"No problem." Alex said, just as her father walked into the kitchen.

"No problem for what?" Jerry asked.

"Dad, can I have some money?" Alex asked.

"Alex, I just gave you money the other day!"

"Yeah but this is for something important!" Alex said.

"Hmm... I believe you used that same excuse the last time." Jerry said crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"But Dad, I'm telling the truth! Ask Justin if you don't believe me!"

"She's taking Max and me out for pizza." Justin said. "Says she wants to talk."

Jerry smiled. "Well it's about time you started communicating with your brothers. I'm proud of you, Alex!" He reached into his pocket and handed her some money.

"Thanks!" Alex said. "Come on, let's get out of here. Maybe we can even go see a movie afterwards! Bye, Dad!"

Jerry smiled as he watched his kids walk out of the door.

"Jerry, what's going on?" Teresa asked. "Kids, get back in here!"

"Alex, Justin and Max are going out for pizza." Jerry said to his wife.

"Pizza? Jerry, are you crazy? Alex used magic without our permission and went off to who-knows where and you're letting her go out? I thought we agreed that she was

grounded for a month!"

"But Teresa, she's our good kid! Hey wait, where in the heck did that come from?"

"You know, she's trying to earn more points in the wizard competition" Teresa said.

"I am not!" Alex said. "I'm just trying to bond with my two brothers!"

Teresa smiled. "I'm glad to see that you kids are taking our advice to get along with each other."

"Oh, it's not your advice. I heard it from someone older and wiser. Bye Mom! Bye Dad! We'll be back before curfew!" Alex said, ignoring her parents' confused glances.

"Later!" Max said as he and Justin followed Alex out the door.

Jerry turned to his wife. "Are you sure those are our kids?"

"Well I'm certainly not complaining..." Teresa answered with a laugh. "Hey!

Why don't we go play some ski ball?"

Jerry's eyes widened. "And catch the next showing of Icevarks? I love that movie!"

"Sounds good to me! What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Teressa said as she grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

"I'm right behind you!" Jerry said, hurrying to catch up with her.

The End


End file.
